TRENTON — As expected, Gov. Chris Christie today vetoed bills aimed at increasing transparency at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and requiring participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

The first bill (S-1761) would have subjected the Port Authority to stricter financial scrutiny and required the agency to hold public hearings to discuss any fee or toll hikes. It followed reports of overtime costs reaching $90 million, pricey job perks and questions about how the revenue from the most recent toll hike would be spent, sponsors have said.

Christie said the bill falls short of applying the regulations to all multi-jurisdictional authorities. He has called for his veto power to extend to most of the state's water and sewerage commissions.

“New Jersey’s 'Shadow Government' has persisted for too long," he said in the veto message. "I urge the Legislature to join my Administration, along with the taxpaying, rate paying and toll paying public, to quickly concur with these long-needed reforms and end the era of secretive governance and spending."

State Sen. Bob Gordon and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (both D-Bergen) in a statement called Christie's conditional veto of the measure "irresponsible and nonsensical" and questioned why he would "continue to protect the scandal-ridden, multi-billion dollar agency."

Though Christie has conceded climate change is "impacting our state" and "human activity plays a role in these changes," for a second time today he vetoed a bill (S1322) requiring participation in RGGI, which is intended to control carbon emissions.

"In withdrawing, I recognized that RGGI has failed to create economic incentives for fossil fuel-fired electric generators to limit greenhouse gases," he said in the veto message. "Energy producers, accordingly, were not incentivized to use lower carbon-based fuels, improve emission controls, or increase efficiencies in production. Indeed, RGGI did nothing more than impose a tax on electricity to be borne by New Jersey's overburdened taxpayers and ratepayers."

Jeff Tittel, director of New Jersey Sierra Club, said RGGI would have reduced climate change and air pollution and funded clean energy projects in the state.

“Requiring continued participation in RGGI is critical to protect New Jersey’s interests, economy, and environment as the governor continues to move to the right and appease corporate polluters and the Tea Party to promote his national political profile," he said in a statement.